Shrimpers' slow catch typical

Published: Friday, August 17, 2001 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, August 16, 2001 at 11:00 p.m.

LEEVILLE - Shrimpers in Terrebonne and Lafouche parishes report less-than-stellar catches during the first two days of white-shrimp season, which opened Wednesday.

Last year's August season, however, was anything but typical, registering as the second most productive on record and possibly skewing people's expectations for this year.

"Everybody's going by last year, but last year was an exceptional year," said George Terrebonne, owner of the The Seafood Shed in Golden Meadow and Leeville. "This year seems like a typical August season."

"It's just slow so far. I haven't heard of anybody doing too much," said Daniel Hutchinson, a shrimper from Golden Meadow.

On opening day, Hutchinson dropped his nets in Little Lake but pulled in only about 180 pounds for his efforts. Thursday morning, he fared worse. He didn't even bother to unload them at a processor.

"I just kept what I had," he said.

In Timbalier Bay, shrimpers were pulling in good catches on opening day but that area has seemed to dry out quickly, with the east side of Bayou Lafourche now seeming to be the most productive area.

"They did pretty good on the west side around Timbalier Bay, but that's finished now," said Wade Terrebonne, George Terrebonne's son, who was at work at the Golden Meadow shed Thursday.

Orand Terrebonne, a shrimper from Golden Meadow who currently lives in Larose, said he and another shrimper were out around Lake Felicity from opening day until about 10 a.m. Thursday. They managed to bring in about 550 pounds.

Like others, Terrebonne said that catch was about average for this time of the August season and that shrimpers everywhere are seeing the same results.

"Some people hit it every once in a while here and there, but it's about the same everywhere - not a lot," he said.

Preliminary figures for the first two days of the season seem to indicate that this white shrimp season will not follow in the footsteps of its near record-breaking predecessor, but shrimpers should not be discouraged by their take so far, said Martin Bourgeois, crustacean program manager for the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

Though shrimpers are seeing slow starts, that is typical of the August season.

In August last year, fishermen landed 10.6 million pounds of white shrimp, while they pulled in 11.4 million and 11.7 million in September and October.

"Looking back on previous years, August is not a really high-production month," Bourgeois said.

So far, sport fishermen are hauling in anywhere between half a gallon to 300 pounds, he added.

The season typically peaks around October; it's scheduled to end at sunset Dec. 18.

<p>LEEVILLE - Shrimpers in Terrebonne and Lafouche parishes report less-than-stellar catches during the first two days of white-shrimp season, which opened Wednesday.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>Last year's August season, however, was anything but typical, registering as the second most productive on record and possibly skewing people's expectations for this year.</p><p>"Everybody's going by last year, but last year was an exceptional year," said George Terrebonne, owner of the The Seafood Shed in Golden Meadow and Leeville. "This year seems like a typical August season."</p><p>"It's just slow so far. I haven't heard of anybody doing too much," said Daniel Hutchinson, a shrimper from Golden Meadow.</p><p>On opening day, Hutchinson dropped his nets in Little Lake but pulled in only about 180 pounds for his efforts. Thursday morning, he fared worse. He didn't even bother to unload them at a processor.</p><p>"I just kept what I had," he said.</p><p>In Timbalier Bay, shrimpers were pulling in good catches on opening day but that area has seemed to dry out quickly, with the east side of Bayou Lafourche now seeming to be the most productive area.</p><p>"They did pretty good on the west side around Timbalier Bay, but that's finished now," said Wade Terrebonne, George Terrebonne's son, who was at work at the Golden Meadow shed Thursday.</p><p>Orand Terrebonne, a shrimper from Golden Meadow who currently lives in Larose, said he and another shrimper were out around Lake Felicity from opening day until about 10 a.m. Thursday. They managed to bring in about 550 pounds.</p><p>Like others, Terrebonne said that catch was about average for this time of the August season and that shrimpers everywhere are seeing the same results.</p><p>"Some people hit it every once in a while here and there, but it's about the same everywhere - not a lot," he said.</p><p>Preliminary figures for the first two days of the season seem to indicate that this white shrimp season will not follow in the footsteps of its near record-breaking predecessor, but shrimpers should not be discouraged by their take so far, said Martin Bourgeois, crustacean program manager for the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.</p><p>Though shrimpers are seeing slow starts, that is typical of the August season.</p><p>In August last year, fishermen landed 10.6 million pounds of white shrimp, while they pulled in 11.4 million and 11.7 million in September and October.</p><p>"Looking back on previous years, August is not a really high-production month," Bourgeois said.</p><p>So far, sport fishermen are hauling in anywhere between half a gallon to 300 pounds, he added.</p><p>The season typically peaks around October; it's scheduled to end at sunset Dec. 18.</p>